The Bro Cynffig Chronicles Project

The 'Bro Cynffig' Chronicles is an exciting project, which plans to record and tell the history of the Cynffig area, through the words, drawings and activities of its children.

Every school in the Pyle, Cornelly, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr area is participating in the project by drawing upon the support of community groups and local people to help gather the evidence needed to document the area's rich historical background. This information will then be shared with all through the creation of history trails, journals and via this website.

This is the story of how, in 1913, a fire destroyed all the shops near our school.

Chronicle book available early November

If you prefer to see the children's work in a hard copy format, why not buy a copy of our book " The Bro Cynffig Chronicles - The history of Cynffig told by its children "

It shows what the children have discovered about the history of the area. Filled with their drawings and writings, the book, 76 pages, bound and in full colour, is packed with little gems of local history, some never before seen in print.

Books can be obtained directly from the participating schools or by contacting the web site. All proceeds from the book will go to the schools and for the continued support of community projects.

Other News...

There is evidence that during the 10th century there was a
Viking settlement somewhere in the Cynffig area. Could this be at a spot once known as "The Danes Vale", where
Cynffig Comprehensive School now stands?

In the Medieval town of Kenfig, if they didn't like or
agree with the laws of the land the Portreeve of the town (a sort of Mayor) and the Constable of the Castle
could just declare them null and void and get rid of them.

Cornelly was once called Lupelluston after the family who
were the Lords of the Manor. In Latin Lupelluston means "wolf" and to reassure the villagers, the family built a
chapel dedicated to St Wenduin the patron saint of sheep.

The main road through Pyle was once a favourite spot for
highwaymen. In 1741 Miss Jane Blainey travelling from Merthyr Mawr was attacked by two of them at Pyle Hill.
Thanks in part to the eagle eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy who saw the robbers riding off, one of the men was
caught and sentenced to death.

In 1867 an explosion blew off the roof of a house in Heol
Las, North Cornelly when the 6-year-old accidentally ignited a keg of gunpowder. The boy died of his injuries but
his mother, brothers and sisters, who were in the room below at the time, miraculously survived uninjured.

In the 20's and 30's it was common practice amongst
families in the district to spend the summer living in tents on Kenfig dunes. The men would stay home during
the working week and then join their wives and children at the weekend.

During the Second World War, Stormy Aerodrome was a
military base with armed guards on its perimeter. But that didn't stop it from being captured. A daring raid
was made to take over the camp and entry was gained by concealing men in empty barrels on a brewers dray.
Fortunately this was not some cunning Nazi plan, but our local Home Guard on a military exercise proving that
they too were a force to be reckoned with.

When Mynydd Cynffig Junior School caught fire and was
badly damaged everyone had to be evacuated from the building. Once all the children were safely out and marshalled
in the schoolyard, they kept up their moral as the firemen fought the blazing inferno back, by singing -
London's Burning!